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with pleasure. “Please.”
Dane kept at him for a long time, hungry like he couldn’t get enough. Finally, he pulled his mouth off,
pulled his fingers out, and pushed his cock back in all at once. His weight came down on Lindsay, barely
caught on his elbows, and he kissed Lindsay hard.
“Yes,” he whispered against Lindsay’s mouth. “Yes, anything.” He fucked Lindsay with long, deep
strokes, rolling his hips as he thrust. His kisses would have been dangerous if he’d still had fangs, and he gasped Lindsay’s name between them, sounding overwhelmed with pleasure. Dane had never been quite
like this before. It had always been intense, but this was so much more open than Dane usually was.
More open. The knowledge of what he’d done hit Lindsay hard enough to make him gag into the
kisses. He struggled to pull away, and to drag his magic back into himself. Oh, God, what had he done? He
hadn’t understood what he was feeling when he’d done it, but now he knew. He knew and, God, he hoped
Dane would forgive him.
“I’m sorry,” Lindsay choked out past the tears of shame and fear. He grabbed at Dane’s shoulders,
trying to shake Dane awake. “Oh, God, I’m sorry. I didn’t know…”
As the magic rolled back, Dane pulled away with a convulsive shudder, his face and body shifting
through several variations on his usual appearance. He shook his head like a dog shedding water, and
clenched his head in his hands like it was about to fly apart.
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“Dane… I’m so sorry.” Lindsay had ruined everything. He curled up against the head of the bed,
wrapped up in a knot of blankets and sheets. “Are you all right? God, I’m sorry, I didn’t think it worked
like that. I swear I didn’t mean to. I wouldn’t. Are you all right? Please be all right…”
Dane got up from the bed and went to stand in front of the fireplace, hands on the mantel. He breathed
slowly and pushed away, still not looking at Lindsay. “I’m fine,” he said, his voice tight.
Lindsay didn’t have to see his face to know that he wasn’t. Dane’s body was taut with something—
outrage or distress, either was equally horrible—and every muscle was clearly outlined under his beautiful
skin. Lindsay didn’t know how to fix it, any of it. He ached to pet Dane’s wild hair and to soothe the
tension out of his broad back.
“I’m sorry,” Lindsay whispered again. He really had ruined everything and now Dane might hate him,
might send him away like his father had. And he deserved it.
“That’s why you practice.” Hands on his hips, Dane stood there, looking into the fire. He was still
breathing harder than normal, though whether it was from all the pleasure or the upset was impossible to
tell.
Lindsay ducked his head, pressing his cheek against his pulled-up knees, and closed his stinging eyes.
Dane was right. He hadn’t practiced when Taniel had tried to convince him to, and now he’d done
something awful. He couldn’t imagine how Dane must feel.
After an agonizingly long time, long enough for Lindsay to feel like he was frozen into a knot of
despair, the bed shifted as Dane sat beside him and then his big arm slid around Lindsay’s shoulders. “No
harm done,” Dane said quietly, pulling Lindsay against him. “You didn’t mean it.”
“I swear I didn’t,” Lindsay promised desperately. “I just wanted you to feel good. And it… It just
happened.”
“Well,” Dane said, murmuring against Lindsay’s hair, “you know it works now?” He wrapped his
other arm around Lindsay and held him close.
Lindsay pulled the blankets tighter and tentatively rested his cheek against Dane’s chest. “I didn’t
think it would work like that. I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t mean it.” Dane sighed heavily, then laughed a bit. “Good thing you weren’t angry.” He
pressed a kiss to Lindsay’s hair.
“I won’t do it again,” Lindsay promised. He tilted his head back to see Dane’s face. He needed to see,
to make sure Dane didn’t hate him.
Dane’s expression was gentle even though his face looked more feral again. “How about you ask first
from now on?” he suggested, stroking Lindsay’s hair back. Slowly, he leaned in.
Lindsay searched Dane’s face for any sign that Dane didn’t mean that, but there was none that he
could see. He nodded. “I promise,” he said softly, waiting for Dane’s kiss.
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The kiss was slow and sweet, and it felt like forgiveness. Dane gathered Lindsay up, blankets and all,
and pulled Lindsay into his lap, wrapping him up safely. “Tomorrow,” he murmured, “you practice.”
Lindsay nodded, ducking his head against Dane’s chest again. He should’ve known his magic would
slip out that way. That was how his parents had found out about him. It felt like nothing less than a miracle that Dane was holding Lindsay close instead of sending him away. It felt so strange to be forgiven,
something he’d never experienced before he’d met Dane. Before Dane had found him.
After a while, Lindsay wriggled out of the blankets enough that he could wrap his arms around
Dane’s neck. He’d hurt Dane, not the other way around, but he was the one being comforted. He wanted to
give that back. He knew which of them deserved the petting and apologies.
Dane kissed the curve of Lindsay’s neck and let Lindsay comfort him in return. He sighed as some of
his tension went out of him, and rubbed his cheek on Lindsay’s like a cat. Oh, that felt so good. Lindsay
returned the gesture and snuggled up close.
Dane kissed his temple and tumbled him over onto his back, kissing his mouth and pushing at the
blankets to get to his skin. He got between Lindsay’s thighs once they were out of the blankets, his kisses turning hot and needy.
“Dane?”
“Not done with you yet.” Dane kissed him again, hard. He pulled back, his expression serious even
though his cheeks were flushed. “I still want you. Just me. Just you.”
“Just me and you,” Lindsay agreed breathlessly.
Dane let Lindsay open up for him, moving slowly and carefully. His breath was rough again already
and he brushed kisses over Lindsay’s mouth. “You don’t need any magic to make me feel good.” The
difference was night and day. Dane had been overwhelming and intense before, and that was still true, but
he was careful now, in control where he hadn’t been before. “You okay?”
Lindsay nuzzled Dane’s cheek. “I’m all right.”
“Good. Last thing I need is to hurt you.” Dane bit the curve of Lindsay’s neck, carefully this time.
“You didn’t.” Lindsay would be sore, and there would be marks on his chest and belly from Dane’s
bites, but Lindsay didn’t care. “You wouldn’t.”
“Never on purpose.” Dane pulled back to watch Lindsay’s face. His breath was coming rougher, and
his hair fell around them, making everything dim. “You’re so pretty like that.” Dane’s voice was a low
purr. He ducked his head and licked up the tender line of Lindsay’s throat, growling possessively. He bit
the softness under Lindsay’s jaw, growling again, pushing in hard.
Lindsay cried out, shivering, his hands clenching on Dane’s shoulders. “Please,” he whispered. There
was something so shockingly good about the possessiveness in Dane’s voice, in the way he growled and bit
and fucked Lindsay like that.
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Dane’s breath was hot against Lindsay’s ear as he gasped Lindsay’s name and came hard. Lindsay
whispered Dane’s name in answer, nuzzling Dane’s neck and cheek, licking and kissing the warm skin